Huge blocks of Swiss cheese ripen on a pallet at a temperature of about 65 degrees. Workers will cut each block into six smaller deli blocks before packaging. Daniel Gasteiger photo

After draining off the whey, workers use shovels to distribute curds evenly along the sides of the basin. Daniel Gasteiger photo

It may take two or more hours for your curds to reach a “hard set” — they’ll form a very loose block suspended in yellowish clear liquid. Use a long knife or spatula to cut a criss-cross pattern through the curds. Daniel Gasteiger photo

After you add citric acid to the milk, you’ll see small curds floating in the pot. Raise the temperature slowly to 90 degrees, then stir in the dissolved rennet and remove the pot from the heat. Daniel Gasteiger photo

Your homemade mozzarella cheese has a very mild flavor which may be lost in a pizza or lasagna. Its texture should hold up nicely in cooking, or you might discover it complements some fruits or bread with olive oil and salt. Daniel Gasteiger photo

Workers shovel curds into rectangular molds designed to let excess whey run free while the molds are being pressed. Daniel Gasteiger photo

Jonathan Weber, general manager of Penn Cheese, shows two deli blocks of the company’s Swiss cheese. Daniel Gasteiger photo

Chef Paul sautéed the onions until they were doré — light brown — and a tempting aroma filled the air. Cindy O. Herman photo

Rows of buggies line a driveway of a home along Route 45 near Mifflinburg on Thursday morning.

Amanda August/For The Daily Item Spectators line Main Street to watch the Middleburg Fireman's Carnival parade on Thursday night. Middleburg's Reliance Hose #1's Fire Cheif Dwayne "Butch" Hackenburg said "it's always full"; it was crowded the whole length of the parade route.

Lyra Knouse, 21 months, chases her balloon during National Night out in Sunbury Tuesday night August 7, 2012.

State Senator Gene Yaw looks over a map of the proposed Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway project on Wednesday morning.

Photographer's Name: Kelsey Ulrich Photographer's City and State: Selinsgrove, PA

MIDD-WEST Photo by Veda Heintzelman, Mount Pleasant Mills